Mr. Fergus Bordewich is the author of six previous books including, America’s Great Debate — Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, and The Compromise that Preserved the Union, Washington: The Making of the American Capital, and Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America. You learn more about these and his other titles at FergusBordewich.com.

Simon & Schuster’s History in Five Friday. It’s the perfect way to kick off your modern weekend…with people from the past.